Kerala Holidays – Best Places in Kerala to Visit in a Nutshell

Kerala Holidays! Every traveler worth his backpack and suntan lotion dreams about it.

Kerala in South India is one of the most popular destinations in India for International travellers to India. Kerala is visited for its backwaters, idyllic beaches, plantation highlands, ethnic cuisine, heritage style stays and wide ranging local experiences. Let me summarize best places in Kerala to visit in a nutshell for the first time traveller.

You can choose to book either of our premium Kerala packages to discover these Kerala attractions: You can choose to book either of our premium Kerala packages to discover these Kerala attractions: Kerala - God's Own Country Itinerary and Best of South India Itinerary.

Access

Kochi (Cochin) is the most popular access point for International travellers who are looking for an amazing experience while on Kerala Holidays. Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) is a good option for itineraries involving Kovalam (South Kerala) and Kozhikode (Calicut) is good for itineraries involving North Kerala destinations.

Destinations for Kerala Holidays

Heritage – Fort Kochi

Fort Kochi (37 kms from Cochin Airport) is a heritage area of Cochin, overlooking the Cochin harbour. Fort Cochin has a rich history as it has been the hub of spice traders since early 16th Century. Fort cochin is characterised by heritage hotels, small restaurants, heritage walks and many renowned monuments such as St Francis Church, Santa Cruz Cathedral and Jewish Synagogue. Fort Kochi is popular with International travellers for a stay either at the beginning or end of a Kerala holiday.

Backwaters – South Alleppey / Kuttanad

Alleppey is one of the lakeside and backwater areas of Kerala. 3000 kms of backwaters in South Alleppey is what gives Kerala the tagline of “Venice of the East”. The backwaters are an experience unlike anywhere else. A stay around backwaters or a boat ride in these backwaters is popular for capturing the whole backwater lifestyle experience.

Lakeside – North Alleppey / Kumarakom / Ashtamudi

Alleppey and Kumarakom are twin destinations on the Lake Vembanad. North Alleppey and Kumarakom are on opposite banks of the lake offering Kerala Holidays travellers an identical lakeside experience. Coconut Lagoon in Kumarakom is the pioneer in Kerala resort experience and one of the most renowned holiday resort especially for experiential travellers. Ashtamudi is an 8 cornered lake near Kollam (70 kms North of Trivandrum). North Alleppey / Kumarakom / Ashtamudi are home to some of the most sought after Luxury lakeside resorts and recommended for travellers looking for best of luxury alongwith a rejuvenating lakeside experience.

Beaches – Kovalam / Varkala / Mararikulam / North Kerala

Kerala has a 600+ kms of Coastline with many beachfronts. Kovalam and Varkala are twin beach resorts in South Kerala where travellers arrive to stay in beachside hotels for a beach getaway experience alongwith Ayurveda therapies (Ayurveda is the traditional Kerala science of wellness).

Mararkulam (or Marari) near Alleppey is a beachfront renowned for its beachfront retreats and idyllic character. Marari is where travellers arrive for a relaxing and rejuvenating experience. Here you walk around a fisherman’s village, hire a bicycle, swim in the Arabian Sea or just enjoy being by the beach. Beaches of North Kerala such as Kannur offer an experience much like Marari. However stays here are less fancied and beaches more idyllic.

Travellers enjoy the beach experience alongwith the cultural and cuisine experience of North Kerala.
Varkala / Kolvalam are twin destinations 50 kms apart having beach front hotels, offering a typical european style beach resort experience (with bars, cafes, restaurants, hotels and holiday retreats overlooking the beach).

Plantation Highlands and Rainforests – Thekkady / Munnar / North Kerala

Kerala is home to destinations that are set around Western Ghats and where travellers arrive for plantation highland experience. Kerala has been home of spices such as Cardamom, Cinnamon, Pepper for many centuries and travellers arrive to experience them. Plantation highlands are also home to large scale Tea, Coffee and Rubber cultivations around which many experiential plantation retreats are situated. Munnar, Thekkady (Periyar) and Wayanad (North Kerala) are three most popular destinations for plantation highland experience.

Highlights of Kerala Holidays

Kerala is best visited for the following:

Forts Kochi – Fort Cochin has a beach front, old Jewish town character (Mattanchery area) and where you can witness Chinese Fishing nets and backwater farming (at Kumbhalangi – 12 kms from Fort Cochin). Heritage hotels offer superb views of the harbour front and Arabian Sea. Make your Kerala Holidays extraordinary at charming Cafes and Restaurants in Fort Cochin that offer a cuisine that is a delectable mix of colonial recipes and Kerala spices.

Backwaters – A stay by the Kerala backwaters is often the highlight of a Kerala trip. An overnight houseboat cruise is most popular as it offers the exclusivity while being around the backwaters. Some of the experiences here include Canoeing, market visit, toddy tapping, craft village visit. However the most memorable experience in backwaters is its ethnic cuisine, especially the seafood.
Plantation Highlands – Plantation highlands offer a refreshing evergreen backdrop along-with some superb retreats that combine superb hospitality, modern luxury with some authentic Kerala experiences. Travellers here undertake plantation walks, bird watching, spend time with elephants and explore reserve forest areas. Travellers to these popular Kerala Holidays destinations also consider staying in a working plantation or experience a tree house stay.

Beaches – Kovalam and Varakala are beachfront holiday resorts with a combination of beach front hotels restaurants alongwith activities and a beach resort character. This is where International travellers arrive to spend a few days enjoying warm weather and swimming in the Arabian Sea.

Mararikulam and North Kerala beaches are about its idyllic character and cultural experience that it presents alongwith. So this is where travellers spend cycling around villages, taking long walks on the idyllic beaches, see fisherman bring home fresh catch and enjoy some cultural experience (like Theyyam, the temple ritual in North kerala).

Boutique Hotels / Heritage Homestays / Experiential Retreats – Kerala has its share of branded hotels. However what Kerala is renowned for are its exclusive stays that can make your Kerala Holidays an unparalleled experience. Fort Kochi is renowned for its heritage style boutique hotels, backwaters are renowned for its heritage homestays whereas highland areas have wide ranging plantation retreats. Kerala offers experience staying in heart of a working plantation, 300 year old heritage homestay, a tree house in heart of rainforest and hotel chains such as CGH that are designed to showcase experiential character of Kerala.

Fairs, Festivals and Cultural Experience – Kerala is renowned for its festival and cultural experience that brings with it for an International traveller. Most renowned festivals of Kerala comprise Boat races (e.g. Nehru Trophy Boat Race in Alleppey), Temple Festivals with Elephant Processions (such as Trichur Pooram in Thrissur). For every other travellers cutural centres at Fort Kochi (Greenix Village) or Thekkady (Navarasa Kathakali) offer an insight into dance forms of Kerala where as centres like Kadathandan Kalari offer an insight into Kalari, the martial art form of Kerala.

Ethnic Cuisine – Kerala offers the most extensive range of cuisine that is unique to Kerala, unlike anywhere else in India. Kerala Cuisine incorporates recipes made from local produce and spices and are available across Kerala in local as well as specialty restaurants. Cuisine varies with every district and every region of Kerala offers its own unique recipes and flavors. In addition to this communities in Kerala has its own unique cuisine variants (e.g. Syrian Catholic cuisine), making Kerala favorite with foodies and culinary tours. For every traveller a festive meal in Kerala served on plantain leaf (Locally known as “Sadhya”) is considered an ethereal experience.

Ayurveda – Ayurveda is the age old Kerala science of wellness. Almost every resort / retreat in Kerala offers some form of Ayurveda therapy. It is popular for travellers to enjoy at least one session of Ayurveda massage. Ayurveda offers rejuvenation, body purification and cure for many chronic ailments. A longer stay is popular with wellness seeking Kerala Holidays International travellers who arrive for wellness solutions based on this amazing age old science of wellness.

Kerala Holiday Ideas

Destinations of Kerala are best traveled as part of the circuit. Our Kerala Holidays itineraries can also be customized as per your preferences.

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